'It all adds up': Burlington Salvation Army kicks off 'Red Kettle' season
The Salvation Army of Burlington and Des Moines County kicked off their Red Kettle campaign with a donation from Burlington Mayor Jon Billups on Monday morning.
Every year, the Salvation Army works to raise money during the holiday season for the ervices it provides to those in need.
"(The money) goes directly here and stays here in the community," said Nathan Welch, a lieutenant with the Burlington Salvation Army.
After giving a short speech, Billups made the first donation as Salvation Army Lieutenant Alisha Welch rang the bell, followed by other donations to the kettle by those in attendance.
After, Billups told The Hawk Eye that it seems as though the start of red kettle season is the official kickoff to the holidays.
"When you see a Salvation Army kettle or hear that ringing bell, give what you can every time," Billups urged those in attendance. "Even if it's the loose change in your pockets. It all adds up."
The Burlington Salvation Army's goal this year is to raise $185,000, with aims of raising $60,000 through kettle donations and the rest through mail-in contributions.
According to Welch, despite a goal of raising $190,000 last year, donations totaled approximately $120,000-$130,000.
"Last year, we did not reach the goal or come anywhere close to the goal," Welch said. "So that really hurt us over the last year and into this year. ... It's been hard to be able to support through some of our services and programs because of last (Christmas season's donations) being so low."
Services the Red Kettle money helps provide to those in need include food, clothing, disaster relief (which can include victims of house fires or flooding), and counseling that helps individuals find work or housing.
Welch added funds can also used to develop other Salvation Army services, depending on the circumstances and need.
"We recognize that we can't just give people everything that they need," Welch said. "Sometimes it takes more than just that Band-Aid. We want to be able to help them understand why they're in the situation that they are and how they can help themselves out of that situation, so it's not a continual cycle like we tend to see in a lot of communities of poverty."
Welch noted that the increase in the price of gas and other goods within the past year has also likely increased the need for the Salvation Army's services.
"We tend to see new people coming in that have never been here before, asking, 'What do I do? How do I get the help that I need?'" he said. "That's why we're here: just to support people in whatever the human need is."
After the kickoff ceremony, bell-ringers were sent off to the current round of red kettle locations, which includes the Hy-Vee grocery stories in Burlington and Mount Pleasant, Farm King and Fareway.
After Thanksgiving, there will be 13 red kettle donation sites, including at Walmart, Walgreen's and Big Lots, according to Welch.
Welch said he is feeling optimistic about meeting the goal this year.
"Not having enough bell-ringers last year was probably our biggest hurdle," he said. "We just didn't have enough ringers to fill all the spaces that we had. Usually the last week or two of the Christmas season is when we make the most money. At least 50% or maybe more. But that last week (last year), we only had one or two ringers out. And that was out of the 13 sites. So, that was a big part of why weren't able to make what we were hoping to make.
"Looking at how many bell-ringers we have compared to last year when we started it, we're already surpassing it. It is hard to keep bell-ringers. It gets colder and colder, and people might have certain things happen with health or other busy schedules that can sometimes interrupt (their availability). But we're hoping to keep some of our ringers throughout the season."
The Salvation Army works with volunteer ringers as well as paid ringers. Welch said they typically earn $10 an hour and can work either part-time or up to 40 hours a week.
The ringers will be collecting until Christmas Eve this year. Ringers do not collect donations on Sundays or on Thanksgiving.
Those interested in volunteering as a bell-ringer can learn more by visiting https://www.registertoring.com.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Salvation Army kicks off Red Kettle campaign season
